Police Arrest Off-Duty Correction Officer In Deadly Shooting On Upper West Side
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A city Department of Correction officer is behind bars, accused of murder.
Police said he shot and killed his uncle on Wednesday night following a dispute on the Upper West Side, CBS2's Reena Roy reported.
Cardell Gadsden, 30, who was off duty at the time, is accused of gunning down 37-year-old Steven Gadsden just before 10 p.m. near Manhattan Avenue and West 107th Street, right in front of a senior-supported living center.
"The cops were all around him," witness William Garcia said. "They were trying to save him. They put him on the floor and the EMT tried to revive him. Then he died and they took him and the EMT back to the hospital."
Steven Gadsden was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital and pronounced dead from a gunshot wounds to his chest and arm. Investigators believe the two had some kind of argument prior to the shooting.
"We heard a big gun shot last night," Garcia said. "When we came out there was a minivan and there was somebody shot in the passenger side."
Detectives with flashlights were seen searching that minivan. The street was closed for hours as they searched for evidence.
Police the nephew and uncle were being driven by another man when they got out and their dispute intensified on the street. After the shooting, the alleged gunman ran off, but the driver stayed at the scene.
"This whole block, they had it blocked off last night. ... There must have been about 20 cop cars out here," Garcia said.
The suspect eventually returned to the scene and surrendered with his attorney, but refused to answer questions about why he allegedly shot his uncle or what they were arguing about, CBS2's Charlie Cooper reported.
People who live in the area said they were unnerved by the incident.
"I'm surprised. I don't like it. It's not good," one person said.
"It's scary. You don't expect to see things like that," another added.
"It's detrimental to have people gang up on one another, especially when it's family or relatives, when we should mainly stick together," Mary Johnson said.
Cardell Gadsden was questioned by cops at the 24th Precinct and has been charged with murder and criminal use of a firearm, Roy reported.
The driver of the minivan was also questioned.
